[Harp-L] Gaskets for Special 20, Lee Oskar, and Seydel Session Diatonic Harmonicas

[flyi...@roadrunner.com]

Hey guys. Dee (Don Makowski) from Dee's Finely Tuned Instruments here. I have developed and manufactured sealing gaskets for Hohner Special 20, Lee Oskar, and Seydel Session diatonic harmonicas. The gaskets (2 per harp) seal between the brass reed plate and plastic comb. They are made from .005 thick foods grade ptfe and are washable/re-usable and will not mold. I have had several people try them out as well as testing them extensively myself over the past 6 months and all have seen a noticeable improvement in the harps response. I want to offer these to the community for free for a short time to get a general consensus. If you contact me through my website with your address and type of gasket you need I will send 2 at no charge. I have never been a Lee Oskar guy but after putting the gaskets on I love those harps. I am really excited about this and I think you will be amazed at the difference! www.deesfti.com
Thanks!

[Vern]

This is a generous offer and a nice invitation to try the product. There is nothing like a free sample. That’s the reason I prefer the farmer’s market to the grocery store.

I’m skeptical about the efficacy of plate gaskets. Assuming combs and plates that are not egregiously warped, the amount of air escaping under the plates is minuscule compared to the amount escaping around the opening reed. Gasketing or grouting the plates is like weatherstripping the windows in a room with an open doorway.

My experience is mostly with chromatics with valves where the slide is the main source of leakage. Leakage would be expected to be more of a problem with the larger combs and plates. However, I have never encountered a leakage problem with undamaged combs or plates. Any opening that can’t be closed by snugging the plate screws will be visible. In that case, a gasket is not the best remedy.

I suggest the following experiment:
- Seal the blow-reed slots with tape on the top of the plate.
- Attach a tube to one of the reed chambers. (Silicone caulking compound is useful in sealing around the tube.)
- Submerge the harp (without covers) in water.
- Blow into the tube
- Observe the source of the bubbles.
I’ll be surprised if you see any bubbles emerging from under the plates. But you will see many escaping around the draw reed.

For these reasons, I doubt that gaskets perceptibly affect harmonica performance.

Vern

[flyi...@roadrunner.com]

That sure makes sense Vern and I almost abandoned this project. Then as a last attempt to prove it out I put gaskets on a Special 20 and mixed it in with other Special 20's and dared myself to find the gasketed harp. It didn't take any time at all. These were all stock harps and all played pretty much the same. Let's wait and see what other players think ok?

[Hannes Schneider]

Got them today (I'm in Switzerland, so they got here really fast!) - thank
you very much, Dee!

First test was on a Special 20 in A with a flatsanded draw reed plate and
adjusted gaps, already quite responsive. I've been using it to work on
Brendan Powers "Japuneasy" for some time now, so I'm quite familiar with
how the draw bends in the low octave work on that harp. I actually didn't
expect too much from the gaskets, but I was pleasantly surprised ... very
smooth bending and much better tone, especially noticeable on the half and
whole step bends on hole three. Harp is also louder and more responsive
overall.

Then I tested a Lee Oskar in G harmonic minor - first time I managed to get
(and sustain) all three bends on hole 2, so a big improvement here as well.
Also louder and more responsive over the whole range.

Less impressed with a Seydel Session Steel in low D. I've never been very
happy with this harp, I bought it to replace a Special 20 when Hohner
stopped making the low keys ... It's just not as responsive as I wish it
was and the gaskets didn't really change that either. I still might test
them on my only other Session Steel, an A harmonic minor.

If the gaskets sell for a reasonable price I will definitely fit all my
Special 20s with them and bring some of my Lee Oskars to life again. There
is probably no easier way to make a harp play better than to install those
gaskets ... Thanks again, Dee!

[Harp Study]

Thanks Dee for sending those. I did a special 20 and a seydel session. The session always had trouble 3 draw where the bends were difficult. The gasket helped with that. The special 20 didn't have any trouble areas but plays well after the gaskets. I have always thought gaskets made sense versus flat sanding and trying to get reed plates perfectly flat.

I like them and for a reasonable price would for sure put them on problem harps and pssibly all my harps.

I should also note that I play half valved harps and I was afraid the gasket would interfere with the valves. The gaskets are so well cut that they match exactly with the channels in the comb, so I did not havery any issues with interference.

Thanks again Dee.